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Chapter 580 Dazzling Light
The last time Zhu Yu saw Lu Zhang bring Yan Shu to visit him in prison, he thought it was because of his past friendship with Yan Shu, so he brought her along.

After all, old habits die hard. During the time he was away, Lu Zhang, who seemed smart and capable on the surface but was actually cowardly and lacked any backbone, really annoyed Zhu Yu.

Therefore, she also found it hard to believe that Lu Zhang would really change much.

But today, seeing him bring Yan Shu to the banquet, and not trying to cover it up by pretending Yan Shu was some kind of attendant, but rather coming with him openly as his wife, and looking very beautiful.

Yan Shu was already a tall and slender woman. Although her skin was not as fair as that of the women of Jin Kingdom, she had a natural healthy beauty. At this moment, she was wearing a dress with a simple and well-fitting cut, which made her look very eye-catching.

In particular, there were rumors circulating that the princess of Jie Kingdom was ugly, with a face full of scars, and fierce like a she-devil. They even said things like "a slap can widen the heart hair." The guests present today had heard these rumors to some extent. In addition, these people were used to changing their tune with the wind. They realized that Duke Yan did not like the marriage between Lu Zhang and the princess of Jie Kingdom, so they naturally believed most of those rumors.

That's why, when they suddenly saw the princess of the Jie Kingdom today, she was quite exotic and had a heroic and dashing demeanor. The originally noisy scene immediately quieted down. Some people were stunned when they saw Yan Shu. They never dreamed that the famous and fierce King of Jie would have such a beautiful daughter.

The Princess's appearance is so different from the rumors circulating outside!

Duke Yan's expression was also not good. His face was tense, and he looked at Lu Zhang with displeasure, as if silently questioning why he was so inconsiderate as to bring that Jie woman over. He did not even glance at Yan Shu beside him, determined to ignore her completely.

Yan Shu had always known about the Duke of Yan's malice towards her, so when the Duke of Yan ignored her, she ignored him too. She simply stood beside Lu Zhang with a stiff face and no smile.

Two maids then came and respectfully led Yan Shu to the back courtyard, where the female guests were having their banquet.

When Yan Shu left with the two maids, she didn't look very happy either. I guess her thoughts were similar to Zhu Yu's. Just thinking about having to face the scrutiny and stares of the ladies and young misses in the inner quarters, and having to pretend to chat with them, made her feel exhausted before she even opened her mouth.

"If only I had known..." Zhu Yu sighed, watching Yan Shu, who was unaware of her presence, leave the front courtyard from afar, feeling a little regretful.

Lu Qing didn't need to hear her finish speaking to guess what she was thinking, and shook his head at her: "Don't overthink it. Look where we are sitting right now."

Zhu Yu laughed.

I have to admit, I was overthinking things.

Even if I were to disguise myself as the wife of Zhao Bi's relative and come here today, and happen to meet Yan Shu at the banquet in the inner courtyard, so what?

Regardless of whether she treated Yan Shu well in private, she was still the proper Princess Consort of Yi, a very noble woman, and later she would sit with the women of the Duke of Yan's family.

Even if he wore a fake skin, Yan Shu wouldn't be able to recognize him directly. Even if he had the guts to sneak over and give her a hint, would the two of them dare to openly laugh and joke together? If they did that, even if Yan Shu's mouth was tighter than anything else, other people weren't blind or stupid, so how could they not see that something was wrong?

Therefore, no matter what her status was when she came to the banquet today, she had no way to get close to Yan Shu, let alone keep her company.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yu could only sigh inwardly, hoping that the ladies invited by the Duchess of Yan would behave properly and that no one would deliberately say sarcastic things in front of Yan Shu in order to please the Duchess of Yan.

After all, Lady Yan had previously wanted Lu Zhang to marry into her family, thus strengthening their kinship. Even though this idea ultimately failed to materialize, it wasn't Yan Shu's fault, but rather Emperor Jin's decree. However, people wouldn't dare to hold a grudge against Emperor Jin, so they might not be so objective and fair towards Yan Shu.

Zhu Yu hoped that Yan Shu could control her temper today and not actually get angry with someone just because they were trying to curry favor with her.

After all, two fists can't beat four hands, and even a tiger can't defeat a pack of wolves.

She'd only end up angry for nothing, and Lu Zhang might not have the guts to stand up for her in front of her maternal grandfather.

After a while, the birthday banquet began, and the guests took their seats one after another. Lu Qing and Zhu Yu were also surrounded by people, so the two of them stopped talking. Zhu Yu, in particular, put on a reserved look, as if he had come out with his brother to celebrate the birthday of a distant relative, leaving everything to Lu Qing to handle.

After all, neither of them can be considered "upright and honest" today. Two imposters speaking together is always safer.

As expected of someone who had dealt with those people both inside and outside the court, Lu Qing was very relaxed and at ease. He put on a humble and fearful expression, and answered other people's questions in a seemingly honest manner. However, upon closer inspection, it was discovered that he had not said anything of substance and that all he said was empty talk, which was more hollow than bubbles.

However, because the family they impersonated was not doing well enough, once the people around them confirmed who they were, they quickly lost interest in these two good-for-nothing distant relatives and turned to chatting and building relationships with others.

Zhu Yu wondered if the dishes at the tables of those high-ranking officials and nobles were better. The tables behind them were in some corners, and the dishes weren't particularly amazing; they were just things that ordinary people could afford if they gritted their teeth.

However, the chefs at the Duke of Yan's mansion were indeed different; their skills were superb. Even the most ordinary dishes tasted quite remarkable.

Zhu Yu didn't touch the alcohol, after all, she was there to watch the show, and if she got drunk and confused, it would interfere with important matters.

Around the time the wine had been served, the birthday celebrant and the Duchess of Yan, who had been entertaining guests in the back courtyard, were helped to the front courtyard by two maids.

The guests, who had been exchanging pleasantries and chatting amongst themselves, immediately stopped talking, stood up, bowed to the Duchess of Yan, and offered their birthday wishes.

It wasn't dark yet, and the golden rays of the setting sun bathed the courtyard, shining directly on the dress worn by the Duchess of Yan. In an instant, the entire courtyard seemed to become radiant with light and color.